


between the bread and the butter

by lalakiki



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 5 Things, Bakery, Fluff, Inspired by Kiki's Delivery Service, M/M, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:00:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29723148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalakiki/pseuds/lalakiki
Summary: 5 Reasons Why My Boss' Son is Kinda Weird: a comprehensive list compiled by Mark Lee
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 8
Kudos: 124





	between the bread and the butter

1\. Donghyuck talks to his cat an excessive amount

  
  


"Hi there, cutie."

Mark glanced up from his work — a pile of patterned paper bags and thin wrapping sheets requiring neat organization — to see Donghyuck leaning over the counter. He wasn't speaking to Mark, though (and thank god he wasn't because Mark would have imploded right then and there). His finger stroked the chin of his black cat Renjun, who sat comfortably on the counter, long tail curling over the edge.

(By the way — how was that not a health violation?)

"Mm, I know. It's a pretty slow day," Donghyuck said, nodding.

So far it was normal. People talk to their pets all the time. It was only natural because pets are part of the family. There was no doubt about that. But with Donghyuck, Mark had observed a few times, things were remarkably strange.

Like so:

_Meow,_ said Renjun. Donghyuck's eyes widened; dark brown spheres that reflected the bakery's warm lantern glow.

"No way!" Donghyuck exclaimed. Mark gawked at the scene unravelling in front of him, his hands frozen midair. "But doesn't that mean she's seeing her cousin…?"

_Meow-meow._

" _Oh,_ okay." Scoffing, Donghyuck propped himself up with elbows stuck to the countertop. Mark was getting increasingly uncomfortable and perplexed. "You should've mentioned that before. I was getting scared."

_Meow?_

"Huh? Oh, hey, Mark."

Mark was startled. Donghyuck was waving at him, friendly and with a toothy grin as usual. Even Renjun was staring at him; a part of Mark felt those jade-gold irises and slit pupils were lasers of judgement. If that even — never mind. That made no sense.

"Uh, hi," Mark said idiotically. The little red blush burned onto his cheeks in an all too obvious manner. Wait — did Renjun just turn his head away in secondhand embarrassment? 

Donghyuck rolled his eyes out of nowhere. Mark's shoulders shrank, worrying if Donghyuck was annoyed at him after he had caught him staring.

Instead, Donghyuck said, " _Yes,_ Renjun. Of course he knows. You'd have to be pretty dumb to not notice by now." He casted another sweet smile at Mark. "I'm gonna go help Ma. Good luck, Mark."

Mark swallowed the colossal lump in his throat. "Y- Yeah. You too, Donghyuck."

Donghyuck disappeared into the back room. Renjun seemingly squinted his beady eyes at Mark, disapproving like a tired high school teacher, and began grooming himself. 

Mark thawed into a pile of confused goo in his seat.

_What is even going on?_

__

  
  


  
  


  
  


2\. Certain items appear out of nowhere, but only after I announce them missing

  
  


Spring was a busy time, Mark learned. According to Ms. Lee, they sold special limited edition, spring-themed treats — cherry blossom biscuits, slices of carrot cake and the like — that tempted lines of eager customers.

Busy was an understatement. Ms. Lee had tossed Mark a small towel from the kitchen because she saw how his hard-working face glistened an hour into his shift. Order after order, box after box, Mark slaved away at spring daylight, sometimes dashing to the back room in order to sneeze or blow his nose. Damn pollen.

Though work was tough, even if he objectively did less than Ms. Lee and her son — Mark liked to think they were the yeast that kept the dough rising, and that he was the pinch of salt in comparison — Mark enjoyed it. The bakery looped the same playlist of music box melodies overhead. Chimes that hung from the door frame would often join whenever someone walked in or out of the store. Ms. Lee masterfully ran the ovens, puffs of flour persisting on her arms and apron, and Donghyuck was occupied with basket deliveries. There was a casual cadence that played within the bakery, homey, with familiar laughter and the fragrance of fresh bread always there to ease Mark's nerves. Working at the Lee bakery was an absolute pleasure. 

Nonetheless, Mark was exhausted. There must have been hundreds of customers who came and left just over the course of his Saturday shift, which had yet to finish. Renjun was lounging on his designated bed that sat on a custom-made platform, bolted to the wall close to the ceiling. Ms. Lee was at the back of the building, sorting out packages of ingredients that had arrived not long ago. 

Donghyuck had just returned from his last delivery. Mark only noticed his presence when Donghyuck, loud as usual, greeted an apparent that dropped by. Mark knew of the list of queued deliveries to be made; he scribbled three more on top of twelve others, in fact. It must be laborious work but Donghyuck was all smiles and no sweat. Mark admired that. 

Anyway — Mark had tasks to complete before his shift ended. There were white boxes, the ones used for cakes, that needed to be popped out of the cardboard template. He remembered Ms. Lee had also requested him to count the number of the special edition desserts on display. He decided to take care of that first. His hand searched the counter, patting its smooth surface — his notepad was there. But not the pen.

"Where—" Mark muttered thoughtlessly. He got up from the chair, crouching, craning his neck at all sorts of angles. "Where did my pen go?" He tilted his head, sucking in a breath. It was gone. No trace of it anywhere. "I swear it was right here…"

"What d'ya say?" Donghyuck asked, leaning over the counter curiously. Mark straightened himself while rubbing the back of his head.

"My pen. The one that I always use for orders," replied Mark, frowning. His eyes scanned the area, double-checking that he didn't just miss the pen.

"Here," Donghyuck said a couple seconds later. Mark raised his brows, turning to Donghyuck. He was holding the pen in his palm. 

"Oh." Mark took the pen, pursing his lips. "Were you using it?"

"No," Donghyuck said.

Before Mark could ask — or even say thank you — Donghyuck was handed the next delivery basket by his mother and cheerily announced that he was heading out again.

There was still something strange about it that boggled Mark's mind. He eyed the pen, scrutinized its tip, and twirled it around his fingers idly. So was Donghyuck just messing with him, or was he completely missing something crucial? Did he have to read between the lines? 

Mark wasn't sure where the lines were. Or what they were to begin with.

  
  


  
  


  
  


3\. Donghyuck likes wearing big hats

  
  


Okay — to be completely fair, that wasn't too strange. Big hats were a thing (Mark assumed, anyway). They made a bold fashion statement and honestly, good for Donghyuck. It was well-fitting for his personality.

"Ma, I'm going out to get fruits!" Donghyuck had yelled once. The bakery closed a few minutes prior and Mark volunteered to stay, helping Ms. Lee clean up the place.

Ms. Lee poked her head out from the kitchen. "Don't forget the blueberries, honey!" she shouted in return, subjecting poor Mark in between to a barrage of loud voices. He winced. 

If Mark had ever questioned whether or not the two were related, he certainly knew now.

"Donghyuck-ah, you forgot your hat!" Ms. Lee then added. Mark flashed a strange look at her, before realizing that was probably rude and cleared his throat.

"Oh!!"

Donghyuck dashed up the stairs and back down in an instant, sounding like a furious stampede stampede-ing by. Mark blinked at the hat he was holding — one large, perfectly circular hat, obsidian black in color. Donghyuck fashioned it onto his head and it was _wide_. Mark swore the brim was as long as his arm. 

"Bye, Ma!" Mark wasn't sure why Donghyuck was seemingly in a hurry. He rushed out the door, handsewn satchel almost flying off his shoulder. He paused for a second and glanced over his shoulder. "Bye, Mark!"

"Huh?" Mark breathed. Donghyuck beamed at him, a smile that the brilliant sunset splash in the sky couldn't compare to. Mark stumbled over his words. "Uh- Bye! … I guess?"

Donghyuck ran off until he was a mere speck on the cobblestone street. Mark could clearly see his atrociously, comically large hat bouncing with his energetic steps. It was pretty ridiculous but at the same time, Mark found it strangely cute.

  
  


  
  


  
  


"Mark, catch!"

Donghyuck was back. Mark stilled for a moment, having forgotten about the hat that Donghyuck wore, but the projectile coming his way alerted him. Naturally, he readied his hands and caught the projectile. It was incredibly soft. And fluffy.

Mark held it in front of his face. A fat, cartoony crocodile with beads for eyes stared back at him, stubby fangs and everything.

"Donghyuck, what…?" Mark blinked at Donghyuck for an answer. A satisfied side grin was what he got.

"It reminded me of you," said Donghyuck, speeding by the counter. Ms. Lee's boisterous voice drowned out whatever Mark had attempted to reply, so he gave up and groped the plush.

Mark couldn't see the resemblance. But if Donghyuck said so — then sure. Strangely, the more he stared at the silly crocodile, the more endearing it looked.

  
  


  
  


  
  


4\. Donghyuck is running late

  
  


It wasn't normal for Donghyuck to be late. He was punctual, despite what his easygoing and sometimes impish mannerisms implied of him. He took his job seriously and Mark respected him in that aspect. It really was out of the ordinary for Donghyuck to not return after sunset; Mark couldn't help but feel a storm of worry brewing in his stomach.

Ms. Lee was mildly concerned too, though she held firmly onto the belief that Donghyuck would be back eventually. When exactly was the question. Outside the sky was a violet gradient, heavy clouds mixing in an ominous gray. Mark couldn't relax in his seat, having spent the last hour waiting and waiting.

Ms. Lee had errands to run. She apologetically asked Mark to stay at the bakery in order to look after the place, just until Donghyuck returned. Mark had no qualms against the extra hours — he had no plans the rest of the night nor the next day. He could wait. He wanted to, anyway.

So Mark waited. The bakery was an eerily lonely place at night; not even Renjun the cat was present. Ms. Lee left the music on, hopefully as a small comfort for Mark, as well as free reign over the leftover pastries that were nearing their expiration date. Admittedly, his stomach had been grumbling for a bit; he grabbed a butter roll. Sitting at the counter, arms spread over the glass, he let his head rest. His eyes guarded the transparent doors and walls, wondering when Donghyuck would come into view, grinning like usual.

Things were not looking too good. Mark was right to fear the thick layer of clouds that gathered in the sky earlier. An hour of waiting had passed and rain began playing the bakery walls in scattered taps. Mark felt uneasy. The rain grew heavier by the minute and eventually remained as an unrelenting shower. 

"Where are you, Donghyuck?" Mark absentmindedly mumbled. He played with his pen again, trying to make it do a fancy trick between his digits. It dropped to the floor with a gasp — then he sighed, dejected. A beat of silence.

"What the—!" Mark exclaimed, mouth gaping.

Mark sprang to his feet — the doors had suddenly flung open. By what force, he wasn't sure, but he was beyond certain of the chaos of crashing storm winds and downpour rushing into the bakery.

The doors hung outwards, weakly swinging in the deafening gusts of wind. He had to act fast — rainwater was pooling inside the bakery, beating the poor potted ferns that framed the doorway. Mark nearly tripped on his own feet trying to dash to the doors and grab their handles. 

It just so happened that the storm was a torrent bringing the most unexpected things to Mark's mundane, relaxed life. Mark saw Donghyuck flying, literally _flying_ through the air — and then crashing right into him.

Mark groaned when he hit the floor. Something had also hit him square in the stomach. Something hard, jabbing into him until it pulled out a gasp from his lungs and he collapsed. It was heavy; someone crash-landed on top of him, earning another raspy cry.

"Oh my god- I'm so sorry!" Mark heard from above. His eyes were clenched and a long groan came from the depths of his throat. That _really_ hurt. He carefully blinked a few times, gradually easing his lids into lifting. Donghyuck's face hovered over his, cheeks flushed bright and plump lips rounded in disbelief.

Donghyuck had his palms flat on the floor to hoist himself up. Though there was a decent distance between him and Mark, it didn't prevent Mark from losing his speech at Donghyuck's cute face, puckered lips and wet hair and all.

Oh, and that was another thing — Donghyuck was absolutely soaked and looked like a wet dog. Raindrops from his darkened locks dripped directly onto Mark's silent expression, which Mark barely even realized. He was too distracted.

"Are- Are you okay?" Donghyuck asked, his voice urgent. "Oh god, I didn't mean to do that, I-" With a gasp, Donghyuck suddenly ducked his head closer towards Mark, as if to inspect him. Mark was not okay in that specific sense. "Mark?"

Mark tried to prop his torso up with a soft groan. He put a hand to Donghyuck's shoulder, a way of telling him he can afford to back away an inch or two. From the corner of his eye, he spotted something peculiar: a broomstick laying on the floor. The _old_ type made out of birch. A couple leaves poked out of the bush of branches. 

"Donghyuck, I'm fine, but did you just… fly in? On that- that _broomstick_?"

Donghyuck blinked a couple times. "I mean, yeah? That's how I usually go do my deliveries." He reached his hand to Mark's face, cupping his cheek. "Are you sure you're okay? That must've hurt…"

Mark shook his head, trying to dismiss the concerns over his well-being. More importantly, his brain was struggling to process what he had just witnessed with his own two eyes (and body, unfortunately).

Mark grabbed Donghyuck's raised wrist. Donghyuck froze, stunned at Mark's enlarged gaze that brimmed with wonder.

"Donghyuck, are you… a witch?"

Donghyuck appeared confused. Offended, even. "Did you not know?"

Mark paused. "Was I supposed to?"

"I mean, not really? But there were-" Donghyuck caught himself before he said anything more, lowering his voice. He looked vaguely embarrassed. "Yeah. I guess not. Sorry."

"Listen- It's alright," Mark said, sighing. "I was just. Not expecting that."

"Have you not met a witch before?" Donghyuck asked, but immediately retracted the inquiry, blushing. Mark wasn't too impressed either. "Never mind. Don't answer that."

Neither of them knew what to say. Donghyuck was still seated in Mark's lap — a realization that came with the most shameful bite of Donghyuck's lip — while Mark kept clutching Donghyuck's wrist for no particular reason. 

Simply put, it was awkward.

"You're, um, drenched," Mark pointed out, finally breaking the silence. "You should dry yourself off."

"Oh," Donghyuck murmured, clearing his throat. "Right."

Mark stood first, shifting his grasp on Donghyuck's wrist to instead join hands. He helped Donghyuck stand, who had averted his gaze only to glance back at Mark with a shy look.

"Do you… think it's weird?" asked Donghyuck. Mark made a noise of puzzlement at the question, so Donghyuck had to clarify. "I mean, the witch thing… I really thought you knew this whole time."

Mark considered it. He was silent as he thought, staring off at the beige walls until he gave Donghyuck a rather nonchalant shrug.

"I dunno. It explains a lot, now that I think about it." Mark paused, then nodded. "Yeah. It explains everything. That's pretty cool. You're pretty cool."

Donghyuck absorbed the positive response, taking and turning it into a wide smile. Donghyuck's hand was grossly damp and slick with all the rainwater his body was coated in, but Mark didn't mind holding it. It was a huge relief on its own that Donghyuck was okay — soaking wet and potentially on the path to catching a cold, but otherwise okay — so Mark was calm. Happy in a sense. 

Holding hands with Donghyuck was pretty cool. Donghyuck was pretty awesome. And pretty.

"I think I'm gonna go change my clothes," Donghyuck eventually said, as though they both needed the reminder of what was happening in reality. Mark snapped out of his daze.

"Yeah, totally. I'll, uh… Oh." Mark finally saw the state of the bakery again. "Ms. Lee would probably want this place tidied up."

"Ah," Donghyuck chirped. "You know she only tells you to clean up so you'll have something to do, right?"

Mark scrunched his nose. "Huh?"

Donghyuck grinned — no, it was a smirk more than anything.

Turning to the wet mess strewn across the floor, he muttered something unintelligible under his breath, outstretching his right hand. A silver ring on his thumb shone, responding to Donghyuck's words. From the ring came a stream of translucent yellow glitter that danced midair before falling to the floor. Objects were fixing themselves to their original spots; the puddle of rainwater moved in a bubble, lifting from the tiles, and popped. It evaporated into thin air. 

To say the least, Mark was in awe.

"That's insane."

Donghyuck laughed. The broomstick leaped to its owner's hand.

"You should be more upset. You never had to stay after your shift to help us clean the place."

"I didn't mind that," Mark said. "I like being around you guys."

It was casual, and it affected Donghyuck far too much.

"I'm gonna go change now," Donghyuck quickly said, already headed towards the stairs. "You can go home if you- Oh. Wait."

Donghyuck had been reaching his third step up the stairs when he halted, glancing at the window walls. Still pouring. Mark made eye contact with him, quiet and a little expectant. 

Donghyuck's face melted charmingly. "Wanna come see my room?"

Mark had a difficult time not bursting in emotion — he laughed, sheepish. "Sure. I'd love to."

Donghyuck gestured with his index finger — _follow me._ Simple and effective. Mark's heart skipped a beat or two at it and his legs automatically brought him to the stairs to join Donghyuck. 

"Oh, make sure you don't wave your hands within a meter of the snake plants."

"The what?"

  
  


  
  


  
  


5\. Donghyuck invited me to meet his coven. Travel is via broomstick

  
  


"You excited, Mark?"

They stood outside the bakery, the day fully cleared from last week's storm. The sky was a bright, vibrant blue with some petite clouds; the ideal flying weather, as Donghyuck said and Ms. Lee agreed. _Cool,_ Mark had said, because unsurprisingly he knew nothing about broomstick flying.

"More nervous than anything," Mark said. He chuckled to play it off, but the tremor in his voice was audible. Tilting his head, Donghyuck placed his hand on Mark's shoulder.

"You'll be fine. I'm the most qualified flier out there," Donghyuck proclaimed, a little amused at Mark's giddiness.

"Is that true?"

Donghyuck stuck out his tongue. "No."

Mark groaned. " _Donghyuck._ "

"I merely jest, Mark." Snickering, Donghyuck held his broomstick down in position, straddling it near the front end. "Get on. There's plenty of space for you."

Mark didn't know how to approach it. He started with his leg stepping over the broomstick, his every movement slow like he was pretending to walk on a floor of lava. Donghyuck merely hummed a tune to himself, showing no intention to assist Mark. It took a couple incoherent grumbles and slippery skids of Mark's sneakers against the ground, but he figured it out. 

"So… What now?" Mark asked, peering over Donghyuck's shoulder.

"Hold on. Let me do some stretches first."

As Donghyuck languidly stretched his arms out, sighing, Mark glanced at the Lee bakery. There was someone who occupied his usual spot behind the counter, taking orders from a customer. A guy, actually. He seemed to be his and Donghyuck's age. Since when did they hire another person? Mark had never seen him before.

Mark tapped Donghyuck's arm. "Who's that?" he asked, cocking his head towards the bakery.

"Hmm?" Donghyuck's neck craned behind himself. "Oh. That's Renjun. He'll take care of your shift while we're gone."

"Oh," Mark said.

Maybe he should have expected that.

"So, um…" Mark gulped hard. Donghyuck was just about finished with his pre-flying stretches and adjusted his grip on the stick. "What should I do with my hands? Do I grab on too? I feel like I'm just gonna fall."

Donghyuck laughs, giving Mark a side glance. "Just hold onto my waist. I'm not the safest flier out there but remember, I do this everyday. You'll be fine." Donghyuck's eyes shimmered in excitement — some type of childish elation that kept him smiling at Mark.

Mark did as he was told. His hands came to frame Donghyuck's waist. He was hesitant at first, but he soon found a comfortable spot for his hands on Donghyuck's figure. This was good. He wouldn't mind flying like this.

"Do you trust me, Mark?"

Mark didn't need to think about it.

"I trust you." Mark tightened his grip. "Take me away, Donghyuck."

**Author's Note:**

> [twitter](https://twitter.com/Iabitgray)   
>  [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/labitgray)


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